


The Lovebirds and Losers

by gwenleewrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adults Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Aged-Up Character(s), Attraction, Bad Flirting, Balcony Visits, Cat Puns, Denial of Feelings, F/F, F/M, Feelings Realization, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Marriage, Mutual Pining, Old Friends, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Relationship, Self-Denial, Slow Burn, Unrequited Crush, Wedding Fluff, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-04-19 07:20:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14232168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwenleewrites/pseuds/gwenleewrites
Summary: The door swung open, and she expected to see Nino and Alya standing there with a nice looking girl. But, she was greeted with green eyes and blonde hair that most certainly did not belong to a girl. They belonged to her former crush, who was a model, who was Adrien Agreste. Marinette blinked, gaping in surprise."Adrien?" Marinette asked, puzzled beyond belief."Um," he gulped, "how have you been Marinette?""Sorry, It's just I was expecting someone that was supposed to be staying with me-"She cut herself off when she noticed the very large luggage next to Adrien's legs. Her eyes widened when the realization hit her. Oh.





	1. home sweet home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien comes home, Marinette is shook, and Alya and Nino are the GOAT.

Adrien Agreste stood patiently outside of the airport, one hand clutching the handle of his luggage as his eyes searched among the bustling crowd of people. His flight had landed twenty minutes ago, but the twenty-six year old was still waiting to regain feeling in his legs.

He took a breath, glancing down at the silver ring on his finger. It'd been a while since Adrien had transformed into Chat Noir, having had defeated Hawkmoth years ago with his superhero partner. The young man frowned, the memory of his father being put behind bars disturbing him more than he ever wanted to admit.

Instead his mind drifted to Ladybug, remembering her confidence and beauty. They'd never revealed their identities to each other, something that had frustrated Adrien for months. Without any akumas around, there was no reason for them to see each other anymore. Adrien had hoped that wasn't the case, but when he went out for his evening patrols, she was nowhere to be found. It broke his heart, because he figured Ladybug hadn't thought their relationship was important enough to maintain.

Eventually, he gave up on finding her, and he decided to study abroad in America to get away from the fact that his father was a criminal and that Ladybug was gone from his life. Now, in his mid-twenties, he had certainly moved on from the spotted super-heroine, but she would always be his first love.

He was glad that Plagg was sleeping in the messenger bag slung over his shoulder, given that he'd gotten enough teasing from his Kwami about Ladybug every single day of his life.

His gaze shifted from his ring to his watch, observing the seconds tick by.

"I'd recognize that Agreste ass anywhere," Adrien heard a masculine voice say, causing the young man's face to turn an embarrassing shade of red. As a model, Adrien was used to hearing a lot of comments about his body. But, that didn't make the experience any less uncomfortable for him when people started staring.

He turned his head to see a man and a woman standing behind him with matching amused expressions. The model took one look at their faces and let out a laugh of relief when he recognized the pair as Alya and Nino.

"You guys were always great at making me feel super awkward," Adrien teased, walking towards them with his luggage rolling along.

"Good to know you still remember us after being in New York for all these years," Alya teased, giving him a friendly hug.

"You'd never let me forget," he quipped, earning a laugh from the young woman.

They continued to make small talk, occasionally reminiscing about old times. They asked Adrien what life was like in America, he asked them how Nino proposed, and all of them mentioned how happy they were that the blonde was back for such a special occasion, even if it was only for a week.

Upon reaching Nino's car, Adrien tossed his luggage into the trunk before hopping into the backseat. He had missed France more than he had realized, and his anxiety to see Paris again was slowly growing. 

"Thank you for flying out here," Nino said over his shoulder, "it means a lot to us."

Adrien scoffed before saying, "You guys are getting  _married_ and you think I'd miss it?"

"We all know I'd drag you here if I had to," Alya piped in, "but it's nice to get the gang back together."

Adrien stilled, glancing at the empty seat next to him. He felt like he was forgetting something in the back of his mind. Or was he forgetting  _someone_ instead of something? The blonde stayed silent, racking his brain for a name and a face to go with it.

"Chloe's been dying to see you of course," Alya told him, "and Rose, Juleka, Kim, Max. . ." 

Adrien unintentionally tuned out the rest of what the engaged woman had to say. He recognized the names she was listing, but none of them seemed to be the name he was looking for. 

"Marinette!" Adrien shouted, mad at himself for forgetting someone so important.

Alya stopped listing. "What?"

"Uh," he coughed, "how is Marinette doing?"

The former blogger twisted around in her seat, giving the model a small smirk that suggested something he wasn't sure of. He didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea, so he scratched his neck and glanced out the window. "Since, she was a part of the gang I was just wondering."

Alya sat back in her seat, her and her fiancee exchanged knowing looks.

"She's great," Nino said, eyes darting up to see Adrien's reflection in the rear view mirror. A mischievous glint appeared in the DJ's eye when he suddenly made a sharp left turn, causing the blonde to lurch to the side. "In fact, Marinette's house is exactly where we're headed."

 

* * *

 

 Marinette wiped down the kitchen counter for the fifteenth time.

A couple weeks ago, Alya had asked Marinette if she would be okay with letting a friend stay at her apartment during the week of the wedding. Originally, she hadn't been sure if she'd be comfortable with having someone she didn't know stay at her place, but the pleading puppy eyes of her best friend won her over. The soon to be bride had assured the designer that this friend of hers was super sweet, and that Marinette would like them immediately.

As the wedding drew closer, Marinette decided she would do everything in her power to be a good host. Nino and Alya had informed the young woman that they would be picking up her temporary roommate today, leading Marinette to begin her cleaning frenzy.

After thoroughly cleaning her two bedroom apartment, the bluenette busied herself wiping down everything again while she anxiously waited for the arrival of her guest.

There was a knock at the door and the baker's daughter jumped up, banging her head on an open cabinet door. Another knock was heard and Marinette quickly scrambled to answer it. Taking a breath, she wrapped her hand around the door knob and plastered on a smile.

The door swung open, and she expected to see Nino and Alya standing there with a nice looking girl. But, she was greeted with green eyes and blonde hair that most certainly did  _not_ belong to a girl. They belonged to her former crush, who was a model, who was Adrien Agreste. Marinette blinked, gaping in surprise.

"Adrien?" Marinette asked, puzzled beyond belief.

"Um," he gulped, "how have you been Marinette?"

"Sorry, It's just I was expecting someone that was supposed to be staying with me-"

She cut herself off when she noticed the very large luggage next to Adrien's legs. Her eyes widened when the realization hit her. _Oh_. Adrien looked embarrassed, staring at the ground while he fiddled with the strap of his bag. Marinette had assumed her roommate was going to be a female, because she trusted that Alya wouldn't have asked her for this favor unless it had been a girl. 

"Where's Alya?" Marinette inquired.

The blonde scratched the back of his head nervously. "She said that she had somewhere to be."

Marinette's brain felt itself short-circuiting. The guy she used to be in love with was standing in front of her, apparently supposed to stay in her home for a week. Her best friend had tricked her, knowing that Marinette had no idea Adrien was attending this wedding in the first place. She wasn't sure whether she was mad or scared. Probably both.

"If this makes you uncomfortable," Adrien said, he began to walk away, "I can stay at a hotel-"

"No!"

"What?" 

"Sorry," she whispered, "please come in."

He offered her a grateful smile, pulling his luggage in with him as she opened the door and stepped to the side. Marinette suddenly felt ten times more conscious about how clean her place looked. It was safe for her to say she wasn't in love with him anymore, but the whole situation just made Marinette feel sort of  _awkward_ and insecure.

"You apartment is really nice," Adrien commented, walking quietly around the moderate space.

Marinette let out a snort before she realized it. "Please, I'm sure you're used to seeing better."

He cocked his head to the side. "Maybe in a sense of how much it costs, but you've really made this place feel like a home."

Her heart thumped traitorously in her chest, a pink blooming in her cheeks. Marinette cleared her throat, walking a little too fast across the room to a closed door. "This is your room for the week," she said, "please make yourself comfortable."

Adrien nodded, rolling his luggage into the room while Marinette walked into hers. This was crazy. She flopped onto her bed, wondering how these things happened. Oh yeah, meddling best friends do this to you. Her hand reached for a pillow, pulling it down to muffle her scream. She took a deep breath. 

"You're a grown woman," she said to herself, "you can do this."

Smoothing the material of her skirt, she stood up and walked out of her room. She stepped towards Adrien's, ready to give him a proper greeting and apologize for not being as inviting as she should've been. Marinette hoped he didn't think it had anything to do with him personally, she was more or less angry with Alya (who she would have a nice chat with later).

The designer made a move to knock on his door, until Adrien decided to walk out at that same moment. He bumped into her, the force enough to send her sprawling on the floor. Adrien, himself, did not fall. Marinette winced, looking up to see her new roommate blushing profusely, staring down at her. She registered that he was not looking at her face.

And, that was the moment that Marinette realized her fall had caused her skirt to fly up, leaving her underwear open for one young man to see.

She screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first story on ao3, thank you for choosing to read it! Please let me know what what your thoughts were :)


	2. the wrong foot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies are in order and Adrien is a dork.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 2 ~

“I am  _so_ sorry!” Adrien said, snapping his eyes away from her bare thighs. He registered the scream that tore from her throat, and the young man felt like an absolutely terrible person. Adrien should’ve been more careful, he should’ve looked before barreling out the door straight at her.

He saw the mortified expression on her face as she tugged her skirt down with a strangled squeak.

Marinette blushed. ”D-Did you see-“

”Yes,” he confessed, offering a hand to help her off the floor. 

Her blushing intensified, but she awkwardly took his hand anyway. Adrien pulled her up, avoiding her gaze out of shame. 

After gaining her footing, the young woman yanked her hand away, making the model feel even worse. It’d been ten minutes and he was already the worst roommate ever. 

“I mean,” Adrien coughed, “I didn’t see much I just saw like a cat face, or something, and that was it I swear because I’m not some creep that tries to look at people’s underwear or something and I’m super sorry-“

”It’s okay,” Marinette whispered, as she backed away from her unexpected guest.

Adrien felt like they were teenagers again, as if he was fifteen and Marinette was uncomfortable with his presence like she used to be. Now as an adult, he felt like their relationship was regressing. He’d never really taken into account how Marinette would feel about this, as far as he knew the designer never saw him as a close friend. The thought made him sadder than he realized.

The young man was mentally kicking himself now, realizing that he had mentioned the cat he’d seen on her panties. Now that he thought about it, had it been a  _black_ cat? The Chat Noir inside of him was delighted.

_Stop._

”I’m really sorry Marinette,” he repeated, hanging his head as he stared at his hands. 

“It was an accident,” she said, her tone stronger than the look on her face, “I know you’d never do anything like that on purpose.”

Adrien sighed. “I still feel like a really crappy guest.”

Marinette gave him a weak smile, and Adrien felt something stir in the pit of his stomach. He frowned, because this girl was just way too nice for her own good. He’d already inconvenienced her when he showed up at her doorstep, and she was still letting him stay even after he accidentally looked at her underwear.

”If it makes you feel that bad,” she started, “let’s just say you owe me one.”

Adrien’s face lit up. “What if I show you my underwear so we can be even?”

Marinette froze.

Immediately he realized how stupid that sounded.

”Nevermind,” he croaked, “that was a really dumb idea.” Adrien noticed that Marinette never said anything in response. “You probably don’t wanna see me in my underwear anyway, that’d be kind of weird.” 

The bluenette laughed shakily, choosing to look everywhere, but at him.

Adrien didn’t understand why Marinette hadn’t already kicked him out. ”Are you sure it’s okay if I stay here?” 

Something in Marinette softened, almost as if she could hear the insecurity in his voice. 

“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” she sighed, “this wasn’t exactly the greatest reunion.”

He laughed in agreement, happy to hear that she felt the same way he did. Although he was pretty sure the whole thing was his fault and not hers.

”Let’s start over,” he suggested, extending his hand out invitingly. “Hi Marinette, it’s good to see you again.”

She giggled, shaking his hand. “Hello Adrien, it’s nice to see you again too.”

”And you’re sure it’s okay for me to stay here?”

Marinette smiled warmly, tilting her head up to look directly at his face. He could’ve sworn he heard his heart pounding in his ears for a moment when blue met green. 

“I’d love for you to stay,” she told him.

 

* * *

 

Marinette laid in bed that night, coming to terms with some realizations.

Adrien Agreste was a dork.

Marinette wondered why she never realized how much of a dork he was years ago. It was endearing really, but she couldn’t find any reason as to why she should ever be intimidated by him. The thought of being scared of Adrien made her want to laugh. 

He was adorable.

Marinette had moved on from him years ago, but she had to admit she still had a small crush on the model. He was sweet, and smart, and incredibly hot. 

But, he’d been so awkward when he apologized for seeing her underwear, it almost made Marinette forget she’d been so exposed. 

 _Almost_.

The young woman was definitely still embarrassed about flashing her former crush. And, if memory served her right, Marinette was pretty sure she put on her ratty kitty underwear this morning.

Teenage Marinette would’ve died, because having Adrien Agreste see her panties was both a nightmare and a fantasy, depending on the situation. 

But, after reintroducing themselves, Marinette assured him that he was welcome in her home, like she had originally meant to do the first time around. She had to confess that having him stay in her guest bedroom didn’t feel quite so real, but he had looked so happy when Marinette told him she’d love for him to stay. And, no matter the age, Marinette had always wanted Adrien to genuinely be happy. 

She remembered how closed off he had become when the city of Paris found out Hawkmoth was Gabriel Agreste. 

Adrien had started blaming himself, saying he should’ve known and could’ve done something about the monster living in his home.

Marinette could recall how heartbroken she was when Tikki had disappeared after her and Chat Noir had defeated Hawkmoth. With no way of contacting her partner, Marinette never saw him again. Ladybug had disappeared from the face of the Earth and no one knew why.

She wondered if Chat Noir was okay for a moment, before focusing her mind back on Adrien.

The designer had wanted to confess her feelings to the teen model before he had gone to study abroad. But, she chickened out, and he left without ever knowing how she truly felt. 

Marinette shifted onto her back in the darkness of her room. Knowing that Adrien was in the other room did nothing to calm her swirling thoughts. Having him here was bringing up old ~~feelings~~ ~~~~thoughts from the past. Ones that she’d intended to leave behind.

She kicked her blanket off of her body, knowing that at this rate, she wasn’t going to be getting any sleep. 

Quiety she got out of bed, proceeding to leave her room to bring her mind elsewhere. Careful not to disturb her sleeping guest, Marinette tiptoed over to the sliding glass door that lead out to her balcony. The cool air of the night caused goosebumps to form on her skin, her arms and legs exposed by the tank top and shorts she wore.

This balcony was very different from the one she used to have abover her parent’s bakery, but having any balcony at all had made the place feel a little more like home. Marinette stepped out slowly, placing her hands tentatively on the railing before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. 

Coming out here always helped her find piece of mind. Most nights anyway.

The twenty-five year old woman drank in the sight of the city at night. Illuminated by the bright lights paired with the glow of the moon shining down from above.

She turned her head for a second, before she heard the sound of something (or someone) landing next to her on her little balcony. 

Marinette could see a flash of black in her peripheral vision, and her breathing stopped. 

Slowly she turned, eyes dragging up from the floor until they registered a familiar cat-like grin, and glowing green eyes. Her mouth opened, but words failed her as she could do nothing but stare at a man she hadn’t seen since he was a boy.

The visitor smirked. “Miss me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys liked this chapter! More to come...


	3. confusing conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Chat Noir and Marinette have a heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise more questions about Tikki will be answered, but I really wanted to focus this chapter on a marichat conversation that went deeper than expected for the both of them. This chapter will be centered more around Adrien. Hope you enjoy some marichat for the soul.

Chat’s confidence was slipping with each second of silence that passed. 

She wasn’t saying anything. 

Why wasn’t Marinette saying anything?

His plan had been simple really. Adrien couldn’t fall asleep, tossing and turning in the unfamiliar bed because his mind was clouded with too many thoughts. He wondered how his father was doing in prison, he wondered why Ladybug didn’t come back for him, and he wondered if Marinette would ever consider him a good friend. 

Adrien had rolled off the mattress, waking up Plagg to let him know he wanted to transform. The Kwami had been less than pleased, whining about his lack of cheese until he was sucked into the ring on his chosen’s finger. 

As Chat Noir, he’d vaulted onto the rooftop of the apartment building, hoping to clear his mind. 

The leather-clad hero hadn’t even thought about talking to Marinette until he spotted her standing on her balcony, taking in the view of the city. Adrien still had lots of questions he wanted answers to, and though it was wrong, he figured maybe he could get those answers as Chat Noir. 

He really just wanted to know what her opinion of him was, and if she didn’t enjoy his company he’d be out of her hair in the morning.

Adrien knew he would be abusing his powers by talking to the girl, but he figured she was probably more comfortable with Chat Noir than Adrien. Besides, they’d interacted a couple times when they were teens. She’d been very useful with a few akuma attacks. 

But, now he was starting to regret jumping down to see her. Adrien had tried to be cool, asking teasingly if she’d missed him. Marinette didn’t say a word, instead she watched him silently.

His demeanor was fading, with no response from her. Chat was starting to feel anxious as the silence enveloped the both of them.

He looked carefully at her face, his night vision proving useful in the moment. The young man expected to see fear on her face, maybe confusion or surprise. But, when his eyes looked at her, _really_ looked at her, all he saw was relief and something that almost looked like _love_. 

His heartbeat picked up when he saw tears glistening in her bright blue eyes. Chat felt important under her gaze, Marinette was looking at him like he put the stars in the sky. 

A pleasant feeling spread throughout his body. But, his stomach was twisting in knots. Why couldn’t she look at Adrien like that? Why did he care what she thought so much?

She wiped at her eyes, and Chat still didn’t know what else to say.

Then, Marinette rushed forward, throwing her arms around him with so much force he had to regain his footing.

”Of course I missed you,” she laughed and cried at the same time, burying her face in his chest. “I’ll always miss you.”

Her words smacked him in the face. Had she really missed him that much? Chat didn’t realize their relationship had meant that much to her, given the few times they’d seen each other.

Slowly, the young woman pulled away. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to make that so weird.”

“Don’t worry,” he blushed, “I’m glad to know someone missed me.”

Marinette sniffled. 

“The whole city of Paris missed you, dumb cat.”

”Me-ouch,” he pouted, “this cat is very smart, Princess.” He smiled when she let out a cute giggle, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

”Princess?” Marinette asked, “It’s been a while since you’ve called me that.”

Chat tilted his head sideways. “Too long.”

”Yeah,” she sighed, suddenly looking downtrodden.

The feline superhero frowned. “Hey, what’s with the long face?”

Marinette just shook her head, plastering on a smile that seemed way too sweet to be real. 

“I was just thinking,” she said, and he watched her fingertips play with her earlobes. Chat narrowed his eyes. Hadn’t she worn earrings back when they were younger?

”Does it have anything to do with your new roommate?” 

Marinette looked at him quickly. “How’d you know about that?”

Adrien’s blood ran cold. He realized his slip-up was putting him in dangerous territory. Quickly, he decided he needed to spit out some sort of sensible answer.

”Uh, I saw Adrien Agreste walk into your building earlier and then I never saw him come out, you know? And, I think I remember you guys being friends or something like that,” Chat rambled nervously, under Marinette’s very suspicious gaze.

She raised her eyebrows at him, like she didn’t really believe him. He needed to support his lie somehow.

”And, I think I saw him through your window too,” he told her innocently.

”How did you know which apartment I lived in?”

 _Shit_.

Suddenly, she gave him an awfully sinful smirk. “Have you been stalking me, kitty?”

Adrien went rigid, what was there for him to say now? Marinette took a step forward and he gulped. “Yes?”

”Naughty kitty,” she chided, eyes darker than he’d ever seen them.

A growl of approval started low in his throat. 

 _Well_ , that was new.

Everything felt warm, way too warm for the cold air of the night. Marinette seemed different around Chat, flirtier, maybe even attracted to him. The thought sent butterflies straight to Adrien’s stomach. Maybe, maybe Adrien was attracted to Marinette too.

She sunk her teeth into her lip.

He felt like he was overheating.

”So,” he drawled, ruining the mood he was too afraid to explore, “what do you think of that Agreste kid?”

Marinette looked surprised, as if their conversation had taken an unexpected turn. But, she quickly regained her composure.

”Are you jealous Chaton?”

Adrien blushed, red spreading from his neck to his cheeks. “I was just, curious.”

Marinette walked to the railing, resting her chin on her propped up hand. She sighed wistfully, a gaze so very far away.

”Adrien is very, nice,” she huffed weakly.

”Do you not like him?”

”That’s not really the problem,” Marinette sighed. 

Adrien was confused. It seemed like she didn’t like him, but she was always so friendly when they talked. Sometimes a little awkward and uncomfortable.

“Oh,” he said.

Marinette craned her neck to glance at him. ”Wanna hear something funny?”

Chat looked at her, encouraging her to continue. 

The woman darted her eyes up to the sky, as if she was preparing herself for some sort of confession. Then, she turned to face him, a faded smile stretched onto her face.

“I used to love him,” she whispered sadly. 

He inhaled sharply. 

“W-What did you just say?”

Marinette laughed in self deprecation, playing with the ends of her hair. He hadn’t realized how long it’d gotten, and he hadn’t realized how much he liked her hair out of their old pigtails. 

“I had a massive crush on Adrien way back when,” she explained, “it was embarrassing.”

”But, whenever you talked you’d get all weird and stutter and-“

”That’s what people do when they have a crush, Chat.”

Chat stumbled backwards, his back hitting the railing of her balcony. Her confession weighing heavy on his heart. He couldn’t believe his ears. She had loved him, the Adrien version of him. 

Wait, _had?_

So she didn’t love him anymore?

That was unfortunate.

Wait what?

His brain was starting to hurt. She was looking at him strangely now, and he realized his odd behavior was probably scaring her or something.

”Chat?”

The balcony suddenly felt too small.

”Sorry Princess,” he gasped, his tongue too dry to speak properly, “I need to go.”

Marinette reached out to touch his arm, but he jumped over the side of the railing and disappeared over the side of the roof. Chat heard her yell his name, but he couldn’t face her right now.

Guilt overcame him, because she’d just confessed without knowing it was really Adrien under the mask. 

His heart was beating too fast, his breathing was too rapid, he needed to slow down everything. 

Was it weird that he wanted to know why she stopped loving him?

”Ugh,” Adrien groaned, landing on the roof sloppily, stumbling onto the surface.

How was he going to face Marinette tomorrow?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep in mind that Marinette is also unsure as to why Tikki disappeared. That’s kind of the mystery in the story, but I’m a sucker for a good balcony scene lol.


	4. answer me this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is just really really confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys like it!

“You’re a terrible person, kid,” a familiar voice rasped from across the room.

Adrien glared at the floating creature, hovering above the dresser. 

“You’re not helping, Plagg,” Adrien said through gritted teeth. Unsurprisingly, Adrien had gotten no sleep last night after clamboring in through the window.

Marinette’s unexpected confession had messed with his head, and tugged at his heart. Of all the things Adrien expected to hear her say about him, her being in love with him was not one of them.

Well, she ~~unfortunately~~  apparently wasn’t in love with him anymore. Adrien didn’t want to admit that disappointed him in some small way. 

“I’m not trying to help,” Plagg hissed, “I’m trying to tell you you’re a horrible human being.”

Adrien opened his mouth, quick to want to spit out an equally insulting remark, but he stopped himself. Mostly, because the kwami’s words were very much true.

”You’re right,” he whispered, “Marinette doesn’t even know I tricked her.”

”I don’t care about your stupid girlfriend,” the god snapped, “I’m talking about how you haven’t fed me so much as a _crumb_ of camembert in two days!”

”I wonder why she never said anything to Adrien back then,” the blonde muttered.

Plagg groaned. “Are you even listening to me right now?”

”I can’t believe Marinette freakin’ loved me!”

”Adrien!”

”Nice going Agreste, you finally get someone in this world to love you and then you don’t even realize it,” he scoffed.

”Hey doofus,” his kwami seethed, “someone’s knocking at the door.”

”What?”

 

* * *

 

”Adrien?” Marinette called, tapping softly at his bedroom door. 

She could’ve sworn she’d heard him talking to another person in there. But, that was crazy right? 

Suddenly, she heard a thud before the door swung wide open. A disheveled Adrien leaned against the doorframe, trying to be casual. Marinette leaned back at the oddness of his behavior. Apparently, two men in her life were both acting strange.

”Hey,” Adrien greeted, surprisingly out of breath. The young woman let out a short laugh, glancing at his mussed up hair.

“Are you alright?”

His face twisted with a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite decipher. 

“Psh, yeah,” he shrugged, “I’m as cool as a cucumber over here.” 

A snort came out of her before she could stop herself, and Adrien blushed in embarrassment. He really was a dork.

”Okay Mr. _Cucumber_ ,” she teased, before a thoughtful look quickly crossed over her face. “I just thought I heard someone else in here.”

”No!”

Marinette jumped back.

Adrien shrinked away shyly. “I mean, it’s just me, myself, and I in here.”

The designer gave him a slow nod in response, curious as to why he was certainly not being himself. She darted her eyes up to his nervous fingers, tapping on the wall.

”Is there something you’d like to talk about, Adrien?”

Marinette watched his expression change, he looked vulnerable. Seconds passed and her roommate didn’t respond. The young woman was about to leave him be, stepping back until he looked up straight into her eyes. Adrien looked hesitant to speak, but he furrowed his brows and opened his mouth. 

”How does a person just _stop_ loving someone?”

Marinette stiffened.

It was strange that Adrien of all people would be asking her this, given the circumstances and her old one-sided feelings. She tried to find a way to answer his question, and when she didn’t know how to reply she just decided to be honest. 

“People don’t really stop loving other people,” she started, “but being _in love_ is different.”

“Oh,” the model wilted.

”Is something wrong?”

Adrien’s shoulders sagged, but he faked a small smile. “Nope, I’m great.”

Marinette frowned, her forehead creasing in concern. “Adrien-“

”I’m gonna go out for a walk,” he laughed, ignoring her. 

“Wait,” she said, “why?”

He briskly passed by her, reaching for his coat next to her front door. She noticed the bag slung over his shoulder, and the tense shifting of his feet. 

“Because,” Adrien paused, “I need answers.”

 

* * *

  

When he rounded the corner at the front of the building, his anxiety was already building up like an avalanche.

Adrien ducked into an alley, looking both ways for any passerby before seeing none. Quickly, he flipped the cover of his bag open, spotting the black figure he was looking for.

”Plagg, claws-“

”No,” Plagg spat.

”What?” Adrien hissed.

The kwami flew up to glare at his chosen.

”I haven’t eaten any cheese in days, and you think I’m just going to let you transform as you please?!”

Adrien was taken aback by the outburst, the sharp look in Plagg’s eyes scaring him on a new level. He supposed he hadn’t exactly been an angel to the small god of destruction.

”I’m sorry,” Adrien said.

”Are you really?”

”Yes,” he answered, “and if you let me transform again I promise I’ll do better.”

Plagg seemed to mull it over, but his indifferent look still remained.

”Extra camembert for a month?”

”Fine,” Plagg huffed, “but for my sake, please make it quick.”

Adrien offered a grateful thank you to the creature, before whispering his transformation sequence into the air. Marinette had confused him now more than ever, and he’d gotten answers as Chat Noir last night. 

What’s to say it wouldn’t work again?

Extending his baton, he skyrocketed upwards, landing gracefully on the roof and running to the other side. Chat recalled what floor she was on, and the distinct potted plants that had been sitting on her balcony. 

For the second time in 24 hours he landed on said balcony. Then, taking a deep breath, he took one clawed finger and tapped on the sliding glass door. He saw her sitting on the couch, a remote in hand and a bored look on her face.

He tapped again.

Marinette dropped her remote, startled by Chat’s grin that greeted her through the glass. Her brows furrowed, and she proceeded to reach for the handle of the sliding door. 

“Chat?” Marinette asked, as the door was pushed open.

He fell into his cool demeanor easily behind his leather mask. 

“Hey there Princess,” he greeted calmly.

Chat grew nervous when she shot him a pointed look. 

“What are you doing here?”

”Well, our conversation last night was very _enlightening_ ,” he told her, “I just had to come back.”

”Kitty, you literally ran away from me.”

Adrien shivered when the word ‘kitty’ came out of her mouth. His ears twitched and his tail swished from side to side.

”A moment of weakness,” Chat said.

”What are you talking about?”

”It’s just your confession caught me off guard, that’s all.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, the blue hue piercing through his lying soul.

”My confession about _Adrien_ , affected you that much?”

Chat looked away. “It’s just I sort of, kinda. . . know Adrien.”

Marinette paled instantly. “Oh my god, did you tell him?!” 

Adrien raised his hands up in defense, swiftly shaking his head. “No!”

“Thank goodness,” she breathed out of relief. 

“Speaking of Adrien though,” Chat began, “I might’ve had a few questions I wanted to ask you about him.”

Marinette sighed, then she turned on her heel and walked back inside her apartment. The superhero frowned, thinking maybe he’d overstepped his bounds. He wouldn’t blame her if she was mad at him or annoyed. 

“Are you coming or not, minou?” Marinette called out from behind the kitchen counter. 

Adrien beamed, a part of him tingling from the nickname she’d given him. He took a jolly step into her home, acting as if he’d never been inside before.

”I’m honored to be invited into your castle, Princess,” he told her with a wink.

”Hardly a castle,” she argued, “but whatever, you mangy cat.”

Chat faked a look of hurt, stepping towards her as he dramatically placed a hand to his chest. She giggled in response. When her soft chuckling stopped, her eyes clouded over.

“Why are you so curious about Adrien?” Marinette asked suddenly. 

The young man tried to play it cool, shrugging carelessly. “I’m a curious cat.”

”Curious cats get themselves killed,” Marinette told him, “haven’t you heard the expression?”

”But satisfaction-“

”What if you don’t get the satisfaction you’re looking for?”

Adrien couldn’t find anything to say after that. Maybe he’d joked too much. Marinette’s tone seemed too serious to be teasing. 

“I don’t want,” Marinette breathed, “I don’t want to bare my soul to satiate a random craving you have, that comes from your never ending curiosity.”

Her words were soft, but sharp. And he could hear the subtle warning behind them. This wasn’t a joke to her, it never had been. Feelings were not to be toyed with or disregarded. Guilt started pooling in his stomach. 

“Sorry Marinette,” he whispered, ashamed with his behavior.

”Chat, I didn’t mean-“

”To be honest,” he cut her off, “I’m just a little bit confused about one thing you said yesterday.”

”Something I said?”

”It made me think, and I had all these questions I wanted to ask you,” Chat explained. 

The young woman raised a brow in question. Chat clenched his hands into fists, periodically digging his nails into his covered palms. 

“What kinds of questions?” Marinette inquired.

Chat frowned. “Why did you fall out of love with Adrien Agreste?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrinette and some more marichat! Do you guys have love square preferences?


	5. things we deserve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why did she fall out of love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been so long. I’m so sorry. Life has been busy. But please enjoy this slightly angsty Marichat with a some interesting added stuff.

“It’s complicated,” she sighed, drumming her fingers along the countertop. 

Chat gave her a look. 

“Do you really want to know?” Marinette asked. 

The superhero nodded, eagerly awaiting her answer. His strong desire to know was confusing him, but he went along with it anyway, feeling that he was close to the end. 

“I shouldn’t have loved him in the first place,” The young woman laughed, with a hint of sadness behind it. 

“Why not?”

”Because I was practically invisible to him,” she answered. 

Chat frowned, not realizing how much he neglected Marinette’s feelings. He wished he could tell her that she wasn’t invisible to him, and that he’d always known she was there. 

“I’m sure that’s not true,” he whispered instead. 

“Might as well be,” she scoffed. “He was completely oblivious about the way I felt.”

”Why didn’t you tell him?” 

“Because he was a freaking supermodel and I was just . . . a super klutz.”

Chat scowled. “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

“And you give me too much.”

”Nothing you don’t deserve,” he said back. 

Her blush wasn't well hidden when she looked away. Chat felt some sort of pride when he saw the deep shade of red in her cheeks.

”Anyway,” Marinette coughed, “I could only handle being friendzoned so many times.”

Adrien felt his heart sink, because he couldn’t believe he never realized that she had a crush on him in the first place. He looked back at the designer, who’s face was twisted into a look of frustration. 

“So, him being back doesn’t bring up any old feelings?” Chat asked, and in the back of his mind he knew he was asking for purely selfish reasons. 

“Of course it does,” Marinette replied, causing his pride to swell just a bit. “Adrien will always be my first love, and I’m always going to have a soft spot for him.” 

“But, those feelings aren’t romantic?”

Marinette sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t know anymore.”

Some sort of hope formed inside of him, and he had to ask himself why her saying that made him so happy. Adrien didn’t have any romantic feelings for Marinette, so why was he trying to get her to admit that she did?

Maybe he . . . 

Chat waved the thought away. 

“If I’m being honest,” Marinette whispered, “as soon as I opened the door I think I fell in love all over again.”

Adrien froze, heart rapidly beating so fast he couldn’t breathe. 

“He’s that good looking, huh?” Chat teased, just to relieve himself of the tension and suspense and confusion. 

The young woman shook her head. “Well he is, but I just was brought back to the time when he meant everything to me.” 

Chat’s ears twitched. “Everything?”

”I’m sorry for bothering you with my problems,” the bluenette apologized, “I didn’t realize I was thinking about him this much.” 

He swallowed hard, thinking of what he could possibly say to her. Adrien had invaded her privacy and thoughts and secrets in a way that should deem him unworthy of being her friend. But, he couldn’t help wanting to know more and more about her true feelings for him. It’s wrong, and immoral, but he kept talking anyway.

”He doesn’t deserve you,” Chat said, avoiding the shocked look on her face. 

“What?” 

“You’ve been pining for him for years, and if he didn’t notice you it’s his loss,” he explained. “You deserve much better than him, Princess.” 

Marinete laughed. “Adrien is a great guy,” she argued, “and his obliviousness is only credited to the gentleman that he is.”

Chat furrowed his brow. “That’s no excuse. He should’ve been more considerate of your feelings, he should’ve paid more attention, he should’ve loved you just as much as you-“

The superhero cut himself off abruptly, wondering what was coming over him. What exactly was invoking him to voice his inner thoughts he didn’t know he had? But, when he glanced at Marinette the answer was pretty obvious.

”I can’t get mad at him for not loving me back. You can’t help how you feel,” Marinette smiled sadly. 

“Why do you keep defending him?” Chat asked. “Didn’t he break your heart?”

The designer reached out to ruffle his hair affectionately. “You don’t have to worry about me, Chaton.”

And then she shot him a sweet and genuine smile, shining through her bluebell eyes. His throat went dry and his heart ached for this girl he’s known for years. Adrien wished he’d known back then, he wished he could’ve changed things, but he knew that even if he had known he was already blinded by someone else. He wished it had been her instead. 

But, a part of him knew that Marinette was one of his favorite people to be around. One of his best friends, and he thought that she was brilliant. 

“I just wanted,” she suddenly whispered, “I just wanted Adrien to be happy.”

Chat frowned. “I want you to be happy, Marinette.”

”I’m happy that you’re here to cheer me up, Minou.”

Chat Noir grabbed her wrist suddenly, stopping her movements in his hair. She looked at him with a confused stare, and he had to take a deep breath to gather the courage to speak again. “If it makes you feel any better, I kind of had a crush on you back then too.”

And it’s really not a lie. Because if anyone came close to Ladybug, it was always Marinette. Brave and smart and amazing Marinette.

”Y-You did?” 

Chat nodded in reply, causing her face to turn an adorable shade of red. “I’ll admit I didn’t exactly acknowledge those feelings as anything more than a strong friendship because I had my eye on someone else.”

Marinette stayed silent. 

“But, I always knew that there was a beautiful girl that lived above the best bakery in Paris. And I knew that she was smart, and brave, and kind, and one of my favorite people in the whole world.”

”Chat,” she breathed. 

“And I wish,” he continued, “with everything in me that I had swept her off her feet and given her the world because she deserves so much more than a guy that never gave her the time of day.”

There is so much truth in the regrets he’s making known to her. Ladybug was his best friend, his partner, but Marinette was someone he’d always taken for granted. And he wished he wasn’t so blind.

”Chat Noir, you don’t have to feel bad for me because of Adrien.”

The leather clad hero scowled. He didn’t want her to think her was saying this out of pity, he wanted her to know he spoke the truth. The next thing he knew he was right in front of her, holding her face delicately in his gloved hands, forcing her to look straight into his eyes. 

“Marinette,” he said, firm and strong and demanding. “Adrien was out of his god damn mind for looking the other way when you were right in front of him. I feel bad for _him_ , for letting you walk out of his life when he should’ve been giving you everything because you’re worth that and more. And I’m an idiot too.”

”You did nothing wrong,” she told him. Chat looked down at her quivering lips and wide blue eyes that make him realize he’s starting to lose his grip on reality. He’s slipping and stumbling and _falling._

“When we were fifteen, and I would drop onto your balcony at ungodly hours of the night, you used to invite me to stay with open arms and a warm smile. You used to tell me that I was your favorite superhero in all of Paris, that I would be missed by the world if I ever left, that if I ever felt alone I always had you. You were so _you,_ so absolutely perfect in every way. A-And I never realized that if anyone was ever there for me it was you. It was always you, Marinette.”

Marinette’s bottom lip started trembling even more. 

Chat blinked and swallowed hard before continuing. “I wish that I had stopped to think about how incredible you are. I wish I had shown you just how much you meant to me. I wish . . . I wish I had fallen in love with you then just like I am right now.”

”Oh Chat,” Marinette whispered. 

And then he leaned in, brushing his nose against hers so gently she almost doesn’t feel it. Adrien barely registered the fact that this wasn’t supposed to happen. He just wanted answers, not feelings and kisses and Marinette. But he definitely wanted those things now, and he prayed she felt the same way. 

He could feel her hot breath against his face, and he didn’t know if he should be the one to keep going. Adrien supposed he was looking for some sort of permission from her first. 

“You can kiss me,” Marinette uttered, and that was all he needed to hear before he crashed his lips against hers. 

The kiss was needy, desperate, and an attempt at saying all the things he never did for years. She was clinging onto him too, kissing him back with just as much fervor and desperation. Chat liked to think she was reciprocating everything he told her he felt and regretted. 

It was a mess of lips, teeth, and tongues as his hands traveled from her face to the dip of her waist. And her hands were eagerly tugging at his hair, the sensation was enough to drive Adrien crazy. 

It wasn’t long before Chat was hoisting her onto the counter, reveling in the delightful squeak she let slip from her sinfully tempting mouth. And then his lips connected to her neck, and Marinette’s reaction gave him more access to the wide expanse of her throat when she threw her head back with a desperate mewl that boosted his ego a few hundred notches. 

Never in a million years did he think he was going to be making out with Marinette Dupain-Cheng on her kitchen counter. 

And when she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him flush against her body, Adrien was pretty sure he was about to combust right then and there. 

That escalated awfully quick, he thought. 

He could feel _everything_. 

“Oh god,” she whimpered.

Marinette was so warm and soft and absolutely perfect in every single way. 

Feeling spurred on, he kissed along her neck and shoulder. 

“That feels,” Marinette panted, “ _so_ good.”

The skintight leather of his suit did absolutely nothing to hide his growing arousal when she clawed at his back with a quiet moan.

His mouth left a trail up her neck, occasionally stopping to bite and suck and lick where he knew she was sensitive. Chat placed a quick kiss to her jaw before bringing his attention back to her lips. She tasted sweet, and Chat was intoxicated by the feel of her. 

Adrien wanted to hear her make more sounds, he wanted her to be louder, he wanted her to feel loved by him. The superhero slipped his hands underneath the hem of his shirt, very sorry that he couldn’t feel her skin with his own hands. And then she pushed him away, much to his surprise, and he feared he did something wrong until she pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the ground. 

Chat couldn’t say anything when he finally looked at her in her simple black bra. The smooth creamy skin he saw was enough to make him lick his lips in anticipation. He could see the slight blush in her cheeks, but her disheveled hair and swollen lips only made the whole scene look . . . incredibly _sexy_.

”You’re so gorgeous,” Chat told her, settling back in between her legs. A sly smile settles onto her face and her eyes looked challenging. 

“Are you just going to stare, or do you plan on touching me?”

Chat’s eyes darkened. “Oh, I’m going to do much more than just touch you, Princess.” 

“Really?” Marinette questioned. “Because I hear an awful lot of talking right now.”

His hands immediately went to her sides, mouth connecting with hers again as he gave feather light touches underneath her breasts. Chat rubbed her shoulders, his hands sliding down her arms as she tried to press her chest against his. 

“What is it that you want, Marinette?” Adrien asked, whispering huskily into her ear. She shivered at his words, but maintained her confident facade. 

“I want you,” she admitted. 

He chuckled, one hand going back to toy with the clasp of her bra. 

“You want me to do what?” Chat teased, his other hand sliding down towards her backside. 

Marinette was shaking and Chat had to use all of his self control not to give in to her just yet. 

”I,” she breathed, “I want you to-“

A loud knock interrupted her, and Chat instantly froze in between her legs. 

“Marinette! You’re supposed to help me fix my wedding dress today so you better be in there!” A loud and familiar voice shouted through the door. 

“Alya,” they both said in unison, and Chat reluctantly pulled away from the beautiful girl on the counter. 

Marinette awkwardly cleared her throat, scrambling to find her shirt on the floor. Adrien scratches the back of his head, trying to look anywhere but her face.  

“I should probably go,” he told her, gesturing towards the sliding glass door. 

“Yeah,” she quietly agreed, playing with the ends of her hair.

Chat couldn’t help the grin that worked itself onto his face. Marinette looked adorable with her hair messy and lips parted because she still needed to catch her breath. 

He never realized just how different she looked now. Taller, longer hair, thinner face, more . . . mature body. 

Chat swooped down to give her one more searing kiss before heading to her balcony. 

“Wait!” Marinette shouted, and he skidded to a halt. 

He shot her a questioning look. 

“Would you maybe, like to come back and continue this another time?”

Adrien’s heart soared, because who in their right mind would ever turn the opportunity down. Marinette was wonderful and beautiful and he could fall so hard if he didn’t catch himself. 

“I would love that,” he said, watching her smile shyly back at him through her long lashes. 

“Marinette if you don’t open the door I’m breaking it down!” Alya yelled, pounding against it. 

“Until next time, Princess,” Chat saluted, giving her a wink before he slunk away like he was never even there. 

The only proof Marinette had is the rapid beating of her heart and the lingering feeling of his lips.

And the hickeys on her neck that she forgot to cover up when she opened the door for Alya. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll try very hard to update again soon. But, what did you guys think?


	6. lies that we tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suspicious best friends, the word ‘hickeys’ like a million times, and a blonde playing a twisted game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay I updated lol

The high pitched shriek that tore out of Alya’s throat was enough to permanently damage Marinette’s hearing. 

“Jesus,” the designer groaned, covering her ears. “Alya what was that-“

”Are those _fucking_ hickeys?” 

Marinette froze, her eyes widening in shock because she had totally forgotten that Chat Noir had literally marked her. A twenty something year old man, dressed in a cat suit, had given her hickeys. 

Okay, so that happened. 

“Let me explain,” her voice cracked, arms flailing frantically. 

“Did Adrien give those to you?” Alya asked incredulously, stepping closer to inspect the marks on her best friend’s neck. 

“What?” Marinette blinked. “No, he didn’t.”

The former blogger subtly rolled her eyes. “ _Sure_ , he didn’t.”

”I’m serious,” the baker’s daughter told her best friend. 

Alya folded her arms across her chest, shooting the thoroughly kissed woman a disbelieving stare. “If not Adrien, then who?”

Marinette opened her mouth to speak, but snapped it right shut when she realized there was no way in hell she was going to say the superhero, Chat Noir, did this to her.

”Fine, you caught me,” Marinette lied awkwardly. “It was Adrien.”

She made a mental note to herself to somehow get Adrien to forgive her for the lies coming out of her mouth. Marinette was suddenly very grateful that he wasn’t actually present at the moment, preventing him from being able to call her out on this terrible lie.

”Where is he?” Alya asked, pushing past Marinette’s small frame.

The bluenette panicked. ”He’s sleeping! Uh, he was really tired after we made out you know? Haha, since that totally happened.”

The ombré haired woman pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose, a suspicious glint in her eyes.

”Are you hiding something?” 

Marinette gulped. “... no?”

Alya shrugged. “Okay, I need your help fixing this dress then.”

She let out a sigh of much needed relief, pleasantly surprised that her friend was buying everything she was saying. Marinette supposed she could keep this up for a little while, but she’d also scold a certain cat for marking her later on.

Marinette shot the engaged woman a sweet smile. “Where is it?”

”In my car. I’ll just go get it-“

Just when Marinette thought she could rest easy, Adrien _goddamn_ Agreste barreled through the door with disheveled hair and a dopey grin that almost made him look delirious. 

“Adrien?” Alya asked incredulously. “I thought you were sleeping.”

A look of pure confusion washed over him before Marinette desperately mouthed for him to ‘play along’ when Alya wasn’t paying attention to her. 

“Uh, I was?” Adrien said weakly. “But, I wanted fresh air so I ... left when Marinette was in the bathroom? I mean yeah, when she was in the bathroom.”

”You needed fresh air after making out with my best friend?”

Marinette’s blood ran cold. How was he going to know to keep going with the lie? The truth was bound to come out eventually, and she hoped Adrien wouldn’t be too mad—

“How’d you know about that?!” Marinette heard Adrien squeak with a flushed face that looked 100% genuine. 

Damn, he was a good actor. 

“You think my best friend wouldn’t tell me these things, Agreste?” Alya scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. 

“No, I just—uh ... sorry?” Adrien squeaked weakly, a very uncomfortable smile on his unfairly handsome face. 

The former lady blogger looked between Adrien and Marinette, noting the discomfort that was oozing from both of them. 

“I’ll come back tomorrow,” Alya told her best friend, “so you guys can work out your shit and stuff.”

”Thanks,” Marinette muttered sarcastically, grateful and not when she closed the door behind her exiting best friend. Her body refused to turn around and look at Adrien though, out of mortification that he had to play along with her lie. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, eyes closed shut because she could not look at him.

”For what?”

Her eyes opened. “I put you in an uncomfortable situation, and I made you lie.” 

Adrien shrugged, the corners of his lips tugging up into a smirk. “You didn’t _make_ me do anything. I chose to do that myself.”

”W-Why did you?” Marinette asked. 

He ran a hand through his hair, the blonde wisps already in a messy state. 

“You looked liked you needed help,” Adrien replied. “It was the least I could do for your generous hospitality.”

”But, now people are going to think that we’re ... _involved_ romantically.”

The young man shrugged again, looking much too carefree for Marinette’s preference. She remembered that he’d said he was leaving to find answers. Based on the satisfied smile he was holding back, the young woman assumed he had somehow found them.

”Nice hickeys,” Adrien blurted, finally taking note of the bruises on her neck. 

Marinette squeaked, feeling self-conscious in front of her former crush. She tried to hide the marks from him with her hair, but he’d already seen them. 

“Wanna tell me how that happened?” Adrien teased, looking smug and amused and very ... _different_  from what she was used to seeing from him.

”You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Marinette said softly, nervously playing with the ends of her hair.

”I don’t know,” he sighed, “I’ve been told I’m pretty gullible. Besides, I think I’d like to know why I was dragged into this lie in the first place.”

Marinette cursed herself, because his reasoning was fair. And, she supposed she really did owe him some sort of explanation. Hopefully, he didn’t think she was lying again once she said a superhero gave her hickeys after a passionate makeout session on her kitchen counter.

”Um,” Marinette gulped, “Chat Noir might’ve ... been the one who did this?”

”Chat Noir, the superhero?” Adrien asked.

Her face was crimson, the embarrassment very obvious on her face. But, she silently nodded in reply, too scared to say anything back to him.

”He’s a lucky man,” her new roommate said, much to Marinette’s utter surprise. “I guess he beat me to it.”

”What?”

”But, it’s hard to compete with a superhero for a damsel’s attention, isn’t it?” Adrien pursed his lips innocently. 

Marinette was confused. Was he actually suggesting that he wanted to be with her, in that way? What kind of twisted universe would make it so that her former crush would finally be interested after she hooked up with another’s guy?

”Adrien, what are you—“

She watched him stretch and let out a yawn that seemed to be a little more on the dramatic side, giving away the insincerity of it. 

“Goodnight, Marinette,” Adrien said with a cheeky wink that made her blush. She lost the ability to speak for a good minute.

“N-Night,” she managed to stutter out, before they both parted ways, heading towards their respective rooms.

All Marinette thought about for the rest of the night was how weird that entire experience was. 

Adrien Agreste was playing some kind of game, and she planned to find out what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys enjoyed that! let me know what you thought :)


	7. problems we create

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg is the only sane one. Chat Noir in Marinette’s bedroom. And, some much needed talking ... maybe?

Adrien had no idea what the hell was going on when he came back to Marinette’s apartment. 

But, when the bluenette started frantically mouthing for him to ‘play along’, he just acted on instinct and listened to her.

He figured out that Marinette had apparently told Alya that he had made out with her. Which, was understandable because that was the most believable thing she could’ve said. At first, he had assumed that Alya knew he’d been locking lips with her best friend as Chat Noir, a memory that would forever be burned into his brain, but he soon realized that wasn’t the case when he remembered he was his civilian self.

Her lips had been so soft, her touch had made him shudder, and the way she looked when she discarded her shirt— 

Ahem. Adrien would use that mental image, at a later date, during his private time.

When Alya had left, leaving Marinette alone with him, he couldn’t fight back the urge to tease her just a little bit. 

The adorable blush in her cheeks, the stutter she let out when she said goodnight. It was all too cute. 

But, he realized, after heading into his room, that maybe he shouldn’t have said what he did. Adrien had flirted with her, obviously and shamelessly so. Right after she’d told Chat she used to love him. Guilt started forming within him, the thought that maybe he wasn’t such a good person popping into his head.

The next night, he was still thinking about it.

“Plagg,” Adrien spoke out into the darkness of his bedroom. “Am I a bad person?”

”Yes,” the creature replied, without missing a beat. 

His chosen frowned. “Well that doesn’t make me feel any better.”

”It wasn’t supposed to. You’ve been reckless since we got back to Paris, Adrien. You’re messing with this girl’s heart.”

The former teen model sat up in his bed, unable to see exactly where the kwami was. 

“Since when do you care about someone else’s feelings?” 

Plagg scoffed. “Since I was constantly being sucked into your ring, just so you could go play your little secret romance game.”

”I’m not playing with Marinette’s feelings—“

”Aren’t you?” Plagg challenged. “Sucking her face as Chat Noir, and shamelessly flirting as Adrien, knowing full well that she used to be in love with you?”

Adrien swallowed. He knew the small god was right. But, when it came to Marinette he just couldn’t help it. Not that that was an excuse for Adrien’s shitty actions.

”I just forget sometimes,” he whispered, “who I am when I’m with her.”

”Do you like her?” 

“Obviously,” Adrien rolled his eyes. 

“Hawkmoth is gone,” Plagg reminded him, “you could just tell her who you are if this is bothering you that much.”

Adrien shook his head. “Are you crazy? After everything Marinette told me, she’d kill me if she found out I broke her trust like that.”

”You can’t keep lying to her, Kid” the god of destruction chided.

”I’ll keep my distance as Adrien, and keep seeing her Chat,” the blonde haired male decided. 

“Did you even hear what I just said?”

”I can’t tell her, Plagg. I just can’t.”

”How is seeing her as Chat Noir the best option?”

”It would be worse if Chat disappeared on her when we’ve already done _stuff_ together,” Adrien explained. “She’s moved on from Adrien anyway, so I’ll just stop flirting.”

”I think you just like the idea of this being your dirty little secret.”

”Plagg!” Adrien groaned in disagreement. Even though it was completely true.

”You also realize you sound like an idiot talking about yourself in the third person, two times, right?”

”You suck at helping people,” Adrien hissed. 

“I’m trying to be honest here,” Plagg countered, “something you _clearly_ need to work on.”

The comment stung more than he thought it would. Mostly because Plagg tended to be right, his bluntness proving useful more often than Adrien wanted to admit. The reality was, the he had been lying to Marinette. He had been ever since he got here. And when you tell one lie, you have to tell another. Deep down he could tell this had disaster written all over it. 

So of course, curse his bad luck, he was going to do it.

”Sorry Plagg,” Adrien apologized, “but you do crazy things for a girl sometimes.”

”This could literally be solved so much quicker if you told the truth. The longer you lie the more she’ll hate you when she finds out that— ** _Ahh_**!“

”Plagg! Claws out!” Adrien said, effectively cutting off the rest of his lecture.

Donned in his leather catsuit and black mask, Chat Noir disappeared out the window once again. 

 

* * *

 

Marinette looked shocked when she saw Chat Noir tapping on her window. 

But, the first thing she actually did was laugh. Adrien thought it was because he looked absolutely terrified hanging from her window.

Still giggling, Marinette pushed open her window, staring incredulously as him. 

“How are you even standing right now? My window is literally on the side of the building.”

The superhero’s smile was pained. “There’s a really tiny ledge that sticks out that I’m standing on, but it’d be really nice if you let me in, Princess.”

A slight blush coated her cheeks before she stepped aside to let him scramble in, clumsily tumbling on the ground as he did.

”So much for cat like grace,” Marinette snorted with amusement. 

Chat rolled his eyes at her, promptly standing up and dusting himself off. 

“So,” she started, “to what do I owe the pleasure of your— _mmph_!”

He cut her off with a searing kiss before she could finish, smiling against her lips when she gasped in surprise. Marinette didn’t respond for a few seconds, the shock enough to make her momentarily still. But, soon enough she closed her eyes and slipped her hands into his hair, pulling gently at the blonde strands that had gotten so much shorter since their teen years.

Just when she was really getting into it, the damn cat pulled away with a self satisfied smirk. And she was about to make an annoyed comment about how smug he looked until he actually spoke first. 

“I missed you,” Chat said fondly, eyes softening as he looked down at her.

”It’s been one day,” Marinette teased.

He shook his head. “I meant I missed coming by and visiting you, like I did when we were fifteen.”

The teasing in her voice disappeared. “Well, things are certainly different now.”

That’s when she registered that his hands were on her waist, respectfully still in their position. 

“Good different?” Chat asked, sounding more insecure than he thought he ever would.

Marinette stood on her tip toes to give him a quick peck, his height causing Marinette to barely reach his chin when they stood side by side. “Definitely good.”

”Good,” he smiled, “ _great_ even. I think what we do now is infinitely better.”

”You mean, now that we make out like horny teenagers?”

”We do _not_ make out like—“

Marinette looked doubtful. ”You gave me _hickeys_ , Chat Noir. Hickeys that my best friend _and_ Adrien both saw.”

At the memory of their heated makeout session, he grinned, hands tightening their grip on her waist. 

“Was he jealous?”

Marinette squeaked. “What?”

”Adrien,” Chat explained, “was he jealous?” Okay, so maybe he did sound kind of stupid referring to himself in the third person, but Marinette didn’t need to know that.

”Why does that matter?”

He leaned down, mouth hovering above the shell of her ear. “Because he should see what he’s missing out on.”

Adrien felt Marinette physically shudder, her hands coming to rest against his chest, as if she needed something to steady her. Knowing he had that effect on her, the thought alone was empowering. 

“Adrien wasn’t jealous,” she lied, and Chat clearly remembered the comments he’d said about how lucky his other persona was. If that didn’t show he was jealous, Chat didn’t know what would.

”Well, he should be,” he told her, leaning down to brush his nose against hers. He could hear Marinette’s sharp intake, and he could feel his own heart erratically beating within his chest. 

He’d admit, Ladybug certainly never made him feel this way. 

Chat watched Marinette smile. “I feel like you had some ulterior motives when you came here, _Chaton_.”

”Can you blame me if I did?” Adrien shot back. “It’s awfully hard to stop thinking about you, Princess.”

”And here I thought my charming personality was why you enjoyed my company,” she pretended to pout, jutting out her enticingly pink bottom lip.

The young man let out a laugh, resting his forehead against hers. “I think we both know I’ve loved your personality for years now.”

Marinette’s eyes flickered down to his lips before snapping back to his eyes. But, something sad flashed within the sapphire that he’s so used to seeing sparkle. Adrien knew something was off.

”I always thought you loved Ladybug,” Marinette whispered, shyly glancing down to the floor of her bedroom.

Her name triggered so much emotion within Adrien, because she had taken a huge role in his life. The role of his first love.

”I-I did,” Chat admitted, “I still do. I mean, you never forget your first love, right?”

“Do you miss her?” Marinette asked softly. 

Adrien wasn’t going to lie to Marinette. Except about the fact that he was Adrien under the mask and he’d accidentally gotten her to confess her feelings to him. But, he wasn’t going to lie and say he didn’t miss his Lady. 

“She was my best friend,” Chat replied, “my partner, and I ... I loved her.”

Marinette didn’t look angry, or hurt. She looked understanding, as if she could completely resonate with the pain he was feeling. And, Adrien supposed if anyone could understand it was her. Because he’d been the oblivious idiot that didn’t take the time to give her a second glance.

“I’m sure she loved you too,” Marinette told him, her tone so convincing he almost believed what she was saying.

“Thanks Marinette,” he sighed, “but she’s in my past now. I’m just really happy I found you after all these years.”

The young woman grinned from ear to ear. ”I’m happy you found me too, Chat Noir.”

And then, she leaned in for a kiss, slowly angling her head towards his. Adrien got closer, anticipating the sweet pressure he wants to feel on his lips. 

“Wait,” he said.

”Yes?”

”Why don’t we just talk?” Chat suggested, blushing underneath the mask.

”Talk?” Marinette echoed.

”I don’t want you to think I’m just coming by to make out,” Adrien confessed sheepishly. 

“I would never think that,” she assured him. “I promise you I was just kidding earlier.”

”This is something I just,” Chat exhaled, “I just have to do for myself.”

Marinette pulled away with a frown. “Is this because you don’t want to kiss me?” 

He immediately backtracked. “What? No! I definitely want to kiss you! A lot, in fact. Like, all the time if I could.”

She laughed. 

“I just, I need to prove to myself that I’m doing _this_ right. If that makes sense?”

”I think I get it,” Marinette nodded. “We haven’t exactly taken the time to catch up.”

”Exactly!” Chat agreed, smiling widely down at the blue eyed beauty.

Then, Marinette walked over to her bed, taking a seat before gesturing for him to come sit with her. “Come on then, let’s talk, Minou.”

He joined her happily, giving her a chaste kiss that was too short for her liking, before pulling away with a sly smirk.

”Where do we start?” Marinette thought aloud. “It’s been eight years.”

”We can talk about what we’ve done since graduating high school, and maybe talk about some of our favorite memories before that too. Anything really, I just like to hear you talk to be honest.”

The young woman rolled her eyes, but he could tell she appreciated the compliment when she smiled behind her hand.

She hummed in approval. “That’s a good idea. I’ll start with something embarrassing.”

”Oh?”

”Don’t look at me like that! I’m gonna tell you what happened on my high school graduation day.”

Adrien smirked, because he was obviously present during her graduation. It was his graduation day too after all. But there was so much excitement in her eyes. There was no way he wasn’t going to let her tell him about that day from her point of view. He actually recalled spending quite a lot of time with her that day as his civilian self, of course.

”It was the day I planned to confess to Adrien,” Marinette added.

”Please, do tell,” Chat encouraged, interest piqued.

“I was running late ... “

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always picture them as the aged up version of Marichat in my other story, “A Tale of Two Rejects” for some reason? But, it doesn’t actually work lol. Their relationship wasn’t like that back then in this story. Speaking of which ... next chapter is a trip down memory lane! Stay tuned :)


	8. the good old days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Marinette was eighteen, she was supposed to tell Adrien how she felt. Here’s what happened, eight years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it bad that this kind of hurt me? ALSO, I wrote this while listening to “Risk it All” by The Vamps, and I feel like it really encompasses how much Marinette cares about Adrien. You should listen to it lol.

**_High School Graduation_ **

**_(8 years ago)_ **

”I’m here!” Marinette huffed, struggling to catch her breath when she stopped at the entrance to the school. 

She’d gotten lost after the ceremony had ended. The bluenette credited that to the swarms of people.

There were students and parents _everywhere_ , goodness it was difficult enough for her to make it on time without crowds of people. But, it was graduation day after all. It wasn’t like she was going to blame anyone but herself for her lack of punctuality. 

“There you are!” Alya’s eyes lit up in relief before she wrapped the twin-tailed girl in a hug. “We’ve been waiting for you to take pictures with us.”

Marinette hugged back, smiling awkwardly because her habit of being late hadn’t been broken since junior high.

”Also, you know today is confession day,” Alya grinned mischievously, her voice low so no one else would hear.

”I’ll tell him,” the aspiring designer whispered, “just not right now.”

”You know he’s leaving—“

”Yeah,” she gulped sadly, “I do.”

”Hey Marinette,” she heard Nino suddenly greet, with his usual mellow tone. 

Her response was much more enthusiastic. “Hi Nino!” 

“Glad you could join us,” she heard another voice say. The voice of an angel. The voice of Adrien Agreste. 

He stood there with his green cap and gown, the color making his eyes pop, looking absolutely perfect. Windswept hair, blinding smile, and those adorable dimples he had on his much too perfect face. Marinette didn’t understand how someone could look that good. It really wasn’t fair. 

Especially since today was her planned confession day. After years of pining, and waiting, and making a fool of herself, she was going to tell Adrien how she felt. The main reason why she chose today was because it was the last day they’d see each other for a long time, given that the Agreste boy was going to be studying abroad per his father’s request. It was sad news for the entire group when Adrien had told them, but he’d also asked that they just have as much fun as they could until he had to leave.

And now he had to leave tomorrow. It broke a small piece of her heart.

She snapped herself out of it.

“Y-Yeah me too!” Marinette responded, and she was honestly surpised that she at least got the words in the right order that time. She’d gotten much more comfortable around Adrien, them being good friends now. But, she couldn’t always escape her old embarrassing ways.

”We’re all glad,” Alya cut in, sending a knowing look in her direction. “Now come on, we gotta get these pictures before my parents drag me away!”

The foursome all complied, letting Alya’s Mom snap photos of the group. Occasional photos with just two of them, others with all four, and some with other classmates they’d gotten to know over the years. The entire experience was bittersweet. Of course they were all awfully excited to leave, but deep down they were truly going to miss this place. It’s where they met, and grew up, and made memories that would last a lifetime.

”See you guys!” Alya waved, heading off with her parents for their planned dinner.

”Bye!” Marinette chirped, waving with just as much energy. They watched Nino start to trail after her. 

“You’re leaving too, Nino?” Adrien asked, causing the aspiring DJ to stop and look over his shoulder. 

“As Alya’s boyfriend, they invited me to come have dinner with them,” Nino explained. “And Alya’s Mom makes the _best_ food, being a chef and all.”

Adrien laughed. Marinette’s heart fluttered.

“Just get married already,” Adrien joked.

“One day,” Nino winked.

They said their goodbyes to their glasses wearing friend. 

Soon, the other students started dispersing. Most were heading home for their graduation parties and special dinners. Marinette’s parents had gone back home to prep her favorite dishes and decorate the house for her. The bakers had forgotten a few things and they wanted her to be surprised. They’d asked her to wait for a few minutes before heading home right across the street. She’d obediently nodded, saying she’d head back home once everyone had left. 

So she waited.

And she was prepared to go home until she realized the only person who hadn’t left was the one person standing next to her. It was Adrien. They made idle chit chat while she waited, but the young girl was surprised that he was still here. A part of her wanted to use this opportunity to confess her true feelings.

Until she realized two things.

One, that they were the only two there. And, two, that Adrien looked disappointed.

“Uh,” Marinette began, “is your dad coming, Adrien?” 

Adrien turned to look at her, eyes widening in surprise. “Oh uh, he was supposed to, but ... I don’t think he’s coming anymore.”

His gleaming green eyes suddenly held so much sadness in them. Something she noticed over the years was that the sadness was always there, just very well hidden. Her shy persona melted away when she genuinely just wanted to be his friend. When she just wanted to make him feel better. 

“So, what do you plan to do?” Marinette questioned, fiddling with the chords on her gown. 

“I-I don’t know,” Adrien laughed through gritted teeth. “But, you don’t have to stay on my account.” 

Her heart physically hurt when she heard him speak. She wondered if he knew he was frowning. His own father hadn’t even shown up to his graduation. She could never imagine growing up with such a cold childhood. She couldn’t imagine being as kind as Adrien with all of those crappy circumstances. 

She blinked, mulling over his words. “Would you like to come over for dinner?”

Her crush on him be damned. Confession day? Screw it. This wasn’t about her being in love with him, it was about her believing that everyone deserved some platonic familial love on this special day. Especially Adrien.

”Huh?” 

“I mean,” Marinette exhaled, “If you’re not busy or something. My parents would love to have you over.”

A hint of a smile played at his lips. “Your parents are pretty cool.”

”The coolest,” she said proudly, giving a cheesy thumbs up to the blonde.

Over the years her parents had gotten to know Adrien pretty well. Marinette would often invite her friends over, and of course the bakers were absolutely charming. Marinette was lucky to have them, and she always told herself that. 

She had a feeling they had exactly what Adrien needed to feel better.

”Are you sure it’s okay?” Adrien asked, shuffling his feet. 

Feeling particularly brave, Marinette grabbed his hand and ran. Her feet picking up speed when he started to run with her. She could hear his laughter as they crossed the street, the sound making her heart pick up significantly.

All she ever wanted was for Adrien to be happy. 

She pulled him through the entrance of the bakery, the bell above the door chiming melodiously. It was really one of her favorite sounds. It was the sound of her home. 

Her parents were just finishing up the placement of a banner with her name on it when the teenagers walked in. 

“Adrien!” Marinette’s mother said with delight, smiling at the pair. Her eyes dropped suspiciously to their intertwined hands, and Marinette immediately let go. 

“S-Sorry,” she said to him. 

His blush was visible, the warm lighting of the bakery making his face practically glow. “It’s okay, I didn’t mind.”

Marinette combusted internally. Externally, she was just a red faced mess.

At that moment, Marinette’s father spotted his daughter’s classmate standing by the entrance. ”Adrien, my boy!” 

The teen model was wrapped in a hug before he could even say ‘hello’. 

Adrien attempted a greeting, though his voice was strained from the pressure of the man’s embrace. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Dupain—“

The baker let out a hearty chuckle. ”Nonsense, I told you to call me Tom.”

”Sorry, sir—uh, Tom,” Adrien weakly said back. Marinette stifled her giggles. 

“Maman, I was wondering if Adrien could stay for dinner tonight?” Marinette asked.

Sabine smiled, nodding happily in response. “I already had another chair set up.”

 

* * *

 

Dinner had gone smoothly. 

Her parents were only mildly embarrassing during the whole thing.

”So,” Tom had started, when stomachs were full and plates were empty. “You know my daughter makes her own clothes, don’t you, Adrien?”

”Yes sir,” Adrien answered. “Marinette is very talented.”

The newly graduated girl blushed, and her stomach flipped when she saw the suspiciously smug look on her father’s face. 

“Do you know what her clothes are made out of?” Tom asked. 

“I’m afraid I don’t,” the blonde admitted.

Her dad looked like her was about to explode with the way his cheeks puffed out. Was he holding back ... laughter? Marinette was growing worried with each passing second. 

She nervously took a gulp of water.

“Girlfriend material!” 

Marinette spat out the liquid everywhere, spraying her parents across the table. Luckily, Adrien was not affected, but the action was still very much embarrassing.

”Papa!” Marinette shouted in disgust.

He was cracking up, throwing his head back laughing so hard he almost fell out of his chair. 

“That wasn’t funny! Adrien, I am so sorry,” the baker’s daughter groaned, rubbing her face with her hands. 

Her mother tried to comfort her. “Marinette, sweetie don’t mind your father. He’s just having his fun.”

She didn’t know how Adrien reacted, she hadn’t even glanced at him yet. But, he probably thought the whole thing was so awkward. But, when she looked over at her crush he wasn’t mad. He wasn’t embarrassed, he wasn’t confused, he was ... crying?

”Are you okay?” Marinette asked, concern laced in her voice.

”Yeah,” he laughed. “I’m just, really really happy right now.”

That part shocked her. He was happy? Marinette looked around at her laughing father, her smiling mother, and the leftovers of the home cooked meals they had just finished. She was used to this atmosphere. Having lived here her whole life with her amazing (sometimes embarrassing) parents. Marinette realized Adrien never had that experience growing up. Of course he’d be overwhelmed with how much of a family they were. 

“Do you mind if Adrien and I go upstairs?” Marinette asked, hoping to give them some privacy so they wouldn’t notice their guest was literally crying.

“Of course not,” Tom said. “Just no funny business.” They both coughed awkwardly at that comment, before Adrien followed her up the stairs, into her room.

They both decided to sit on the floor. He’d been in her room plenty of times, but not as often by himself. The gang would often meet at Marinette’s house because of the fact that they could always get free sweets. 

But, the point was, it wasn’t that awkward having him in here with her.

”You were right,” Adrien told her.

Marinette gave him a look that encouraged him to elaborate. 

“Your parents _are_ the coolest,” he laughed, before mocking the thumbs up she’d given him earlier. 

“You bet your behind they are,” Marinette hummed appreciatively.

”Everything great about them,” Adrien started, “you definitely inherited that.”

The compliment startled her. But, she shyly said thank you before playing with the ends of her pig tails. 

“Thank you, Marinette, for inviting me for dinner,” he sighed. “I would’ve eaten alone if it wasn’t for you.”

Marinette’s lips twisted into a scowl. “No one should eat dinner alone, especially not on a day like today.”

Adrien shot her a grateful smile, but didn’t acknowledge her disgust at eating dinners alone. She saw the sadness in his eyes again, and that said more than enough. 

“I can’t believe we graduated,” he said instead, plastering on that model smile she knew too well. It wasn’t genuine. But, for now she’d humor him.

”Yeah same,” Marinette let out a short laugh, smiling to herself until one thought hit her. “I can’t believe you’re leaving.”

The mood shifted dramatically after she let that truth slip. It was the only thing that had been on her mind for weeks. Ever since he’d let them know it was happening. 

“I don’t want to believe it, but my father he—“ Adrien frowned. “I’m just glad we managed to have my going away party last week, and we got all of those sad goodbyes out then.”

Marinette didn’t say anything for a few seconds. The thought of Adrien leaving was just so ... _painful_. How could she just be fine with the boy she loved leaving? With no sure date of when he would come back? She couldn’t cope.

”I’m gonna miss you,” Marinette confessed, voice cracking. It wasn’t the confession she’d planned on, but it was all she could manage right now. She was going to miss him so _so_ much.

”I’m gonna miss you too, Marinette,” he whispered softly. “You’ve always been one of my best friends, truly.”

And then, she felt tears pricking at her eyes, for so many reasons. Because he was leaving, because he friendzoned her for the millionth time, because he was just too kind for the world, because he didn’t even know how she felt, and because her throat was too closed up for her to even say anything. 

“Don’t cry,” Adrien laughed sadly, “or else I’ll cry, and we both know I don’t look good when I cry.”

”Don’t _lie_ ,” Marinette sniffled, “you’re a freaking model. You look good _all_ the time.”

He cracked up at a blubbering Marinette complimenting him. That’s when she noticed that for a brief shining moment, there was no sadness in his eyes. The emerald shade lighting up with pure, genuine, happiness. It made her feel content with her life, just to see him happy in that moment.

Suddenly, his phone beeped, signaling a text message. When Adrien read it his brows furrowed.

“Natalie’s here to pick me up,” he told her.

“Oh,” Marinette said, wiping furiously at her eyes. “Uh, that’s good.” 

“Sorry, I couldn’t stay longer,” Adrien apologized. 

“It’s fine! I’m glad we got to hang out, one last time before you—“ Marinette cut herself off. She couldn’t say it again, not if she didn’t want to start sobbing in front of him.

”Yeah,” Adrien said. 

Marinette faked a smile. “I’ll walk you out.”

They proceeded to head down the stairs, and while Adrien said goodbye to her parents she mentally prepared herself for the heartbreaking goodbye she was about to experience. They walked away from the bakers until they were standing outside the front door of the patisserie, the summer heat making her even more nervous than she was before. 

Marinette sported the familiar limo that had been picking Adrien up since he first started public school. 

“I guess this is one last sad goodbye,” she said first, deciding to stick her hand out for him to shake. Her voice was surprisingly steady.

Adrien glanced down at her outstretched hand, a small smile on his face. He didn’t move to shake her hand at all for a good ten seconds, so she awkwardly pulled it back. At that moment, Adrien rushed forward to wrap her in a hug. His chin over her shoulder, and one arm wrapped around her waist while the other was around her upper back.

”Don’t forget about me, okay?” Adrien’s voice was shaky, and Marinette was breaking inside. 

“Don’t forget about me when you’re living your best life in America,” the bluenette shot back to her first love. “I hear New York is beautiful.”

”Forget about Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” Adrien repeated in disbelief. “Never.”

Her laughter was so empty and hollow and painful. She sucked in a breath. ”Adrien, you know you’ll always be—“

”Adrien, your father is waiting for you at home,” a stern voice cut her off. Marinette turned to see Natalie standing there with a bored expression on her face.

”Right,” the teenager sighed, pulling away from Marinette. He started to walk away, but stopped when he looked over his shoulder. 

“I wish my father would let my friends come see me off at the airport—“

”It’s okay!” Marinette shouted much too loud. She was trying too hard to seem okay.

Adrien looked at the ground. ”I’d give you my number, but—“

”I know,” she swallowed. She was referring to the fact that having his number would be useless. Because his father was going to confiscate his phone, and cut off his ability to contact with anyone he used to know in Paris once Adrien got on the plane. They all knew he was trying to cut off their friendship completely once Adrien moved to America. Gabriel had never approved of the friends Adrien had. So this was truly goodbye, for a long time at least.

”What were you going to say?” Adrien asked. “Before Natalie got here.”

Her throat closed up, her hands grew sweaty, her brain couldn’t focus. 

“Uh, you’ll always be one of my best friends,” Marinette spat out. Adrien just beamed back at the girl who couldn’t get her message across. 

“I feel the same way,” he said to her, and she desperately wished he would respond that way after she told him she loved him instead of her pathetic friendly goodbye.

”Bye Marinette!” Adrien called. “I’ll come back one day!” 

They both knew he wasn’t actually sure if he was coming back.

Marinette simply waved, unable to find words to say to him. She just didn’t want to say goodbye. It felt too permanent, too much like she’d never see him again.

Maybe she wouldn’t.

And suddenly everything happened too fast. He waved one last time before disappearing into the limo. All the while she stood there with a fake smile on her face, pathetically waving like she wasn’t absolutely broken. 

Say something. Say something. Say something. 

She couldn’t! 

Her lips wouldn’t move, her brain couldn’t function, her body was frozen.

When the limo drove out of sight, Marinette was still waving. She didn’t want to acknowledge that that had just happened. 

But it did. 

And thirty seconds later, Marinette collapsed outside the bakery doors, clutching her chest before she dropped to her knees and cried.

She was such a coward. She never told Adrien Agreste how she felt. 

“You know you’ll always be my first love,” Marinette whispered, knowing full well that it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could you tell that I’m pretty bad at covering plot holes and I just throw stuff in there to make it kind of work? Also, did you remember that in the first chapter Adrien forgot Marinette’s name in the car and in this chapter he said he never would? Props to you if you did :)


End file.
